A major Australian study debunks homeopathy&mdash;again<br />
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<br />
By Erin Blakemore<br />
smithsonian.com<br />
March 11, 2015<br />
<br />
Perhaps you remember when scientists debunked homeopathy in 2002. Or <br />
2010. Or 2014. But now a major Australian study analyzing over 1,800 <br />
papers has shown that homeopathy, the alternative treatment that relies <br />
on super-diluted substances and the principle of &ldquo;like cures like&rdquo; is <br />
completely ineffective.<br />
<br />
After assessing more than 1,800 studies on homeopathy, Australia&rsquo;s <br />
National Health and Medical Research Council was only able to find 225 <br />
that were rigorous enough to analyze. And a systematic review of these <br />
studies revealed &ldquo;no good quality evidence to support the claim that <br />
homeopathy is effective in treating health conditions.&rdquo;<br />
<br />
The Australian study, which is the first position statement relying on <br />
such an extensive review of medical literature, strikes the latest blow <br />
at a 200-year-old alternative treatment developed by a German physician <br />
with &ldquo;no interest in detailed pathology, and none in conventional <br />
diagnosis and treatment.&rdquo; The Washington Post reports that the study&rsquo;s <br />
authors are concerned that people who continue to choose homeopathic <br />
remedies over proven medicine face real health risks&mdash;including the <br />
nearly 4 million Americans who use homeopathic &ldquo;medicines.&rdquo;<br />
<br />
The head of the National Health and Medical Research Council told the <br />
Guardian that he hopes the findings will lead to changes in Australia&rsquo;s <br />
health insurance and pharmacy systems. But he also said that &ldquo;there <br />
will be a tail of people who won&rsquo;t respond to this report, and who will <br />
say it&rsquo;s all a conspiracy of the establishment.&rdquo;<br />
<br />
News of the Australian study comes on the heels of newly released <br />
National Health Interview Survey data showing a &ldquo;small but significant&rdquo; <br />
increase in the use of homeopathy during 2012. And recently, a Canadian <br />
homeopathic college came under fire for taking an anti-vaccination <br />
stance and promoting homeopathic &ldquo;nosodes&rdquo; as an alternative to <br />
vaccines.<br />
<br />
But will the not-so-new news that homeopathy is ineffective keep <br />
consumers from wasting their money on the complementary therapy? If the <br />
growing homeopathic industry is any indication, the answer is probably <br />
no.<br />
<br />
-- <br />
Tra il rosso ed il nero,<br />
vince sempre lo zero.